KOLDER
The children's art program has been a fixed and substantial part of the festival program of Into The Great Wide Open since its first year. It offers activities and workshops for children aged 0 to 14 years.
Kolder 2026: from order to chaos and back again
This year, the art program of Into The Great Wide Open revolved around the central theme of WAN/ORDE ('dis/order') which explores how chaos and disruption can make room for new ideas. This theme also runs through the children’s art program. A dozen artists and kids’ favorites ran with it and used disorder as fuel for their imagination.
The result? A magical factory in the woods of Vlieland, where the machines hummed and the conveyor belt ran at full speed—but nobody knew what would come out. Here, children and adults played live Stratego together, you paid in “flut” (worthless currency) and you wiped your butt with art.
The program is all about experiencing, wondering, discovering, imagining, exploring, experimenting, making and playing in the natural world of Vlieland. There is plenty of room for immersive projects where children can literally become part of a bigger story, such as running a philosophical journal or building their own “final boss” and defeating it. Creative making and building projects matter too, bringing different art forms together and working with unusual materials. What every project has in common is a connection to its surroundings: the island of Vlieland and the festival itself.
Each year’s program is put together in collaboration with creatives and (visual) artists who specialize in, or want to further develop, innovative children’s art projects on location. Projects are selected for strong design combined with a practical approach that suits the festival setting and the outdoor location.
